Photographic developing apparatus.



PATENTED DEC. l, 1908.

- A. BARTOL.

PHOTOGRAPHIG DEVELOPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1903.

2 SHEBTS-SEBBT l` NO MODEL.

/NVENToH Br g 1y/aft Bartol Arm/arms wow-nwo wAswNeToN, n cv No. 745,558. PATENTED DEC. l, 1903. A. BARTOL.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

-7lbgflfsss A INI/M701? L BY August Bar-tol TTOHNEYS um co. wamumo wAsHmYon. n ci Patented December 1, 1903i,

PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST EAEroL, or NEW YoEx, N. Y.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,558, dated December 1, 1903.

Application filed May 23,1903. Serial No. 158,395. (No model.)

To all whom, t muy concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST BARTOL, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic Developing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification,`such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for developing photographic plates without the use of adark room, said apparatus being compact in form and simple in construction and operation; and with this and other objects in view the invention consists in an apparatus of the class specified constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanyingdrawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved apparatus, part of the side wall of the box or case which I employ being broken away and the front end and left-hand side.

and top thereof being shown; Fig. 2, a similar view showing the right-hand side, the rear end, and the top, the rear end and top being open; Fig. 3, a sectional side elevation, Fig. 4, a sectional end elevation, and Fig. 5 a plan view of one end of a plate-holder which is used in connection with my improved apparatus.

In the practice of my invention I provide a main box or case a, having a hinged rear end a2 and a hinged top a3 and the central front end portion of which is inclined inwardly and backwardly at an angle of about forty-five degrees, as shown at d4, and above which is an upright front end portion 5a, to which the top a3 is hinged.

In the frontinclined end port-ion a4 is placed a ruby glass co5, and the hinged rear end portion a2 is provided with a ruby glass e6 and with two hook members a7 and as, the Shanks of which pass through the rear end portion 0.3 and are provided with knobs or handles a,

`and the object of the hook member a7 is to hold the rear end member o? closed, and to accomplish this result it operates in conncc# tion with a transverse bar l) at the top of the box or case and forming a part thereof.

Within the box or case is placed a box c, which is open at the top and provided with a removable cover cconsisting of a slide adapted to be passed through a horizontal slot or opening c3 in the bottom front wall of the front end of the box or case, and the box c is provided at the top and in the sides thereof with keepers c4, designed to receive the cover c2, and this cover may be made of tin, rubber, or any suitable material. In the rear portion of the box or case is secured a spring c5, which l is adapted to operate in connection with or to bear ou the rear end of the box c and to hold it in the position shown in Fig. 3, in which position it is closely adjacent to the front bottom wall at the front of the box or case, and the bottom of the box or case is provided with a recess c, adapted to receive the spring c5 when it is depressed, so that the box c may be drawn baekwardly, and the hook member CLS is designed to hold the box c in its rearmost position, and for this purpose said hook member may be manipulated so as to engage the rear end of the said box c.

The inclined portion at at the front end of the main box or case is also provided with keepers d, into which supplemental ruby or other colored glass may be inserted, iii-desired, and the amount of light which passes through the opening cl2, which is closed by the ruby glass a5, may thus be regulated.

At the opposite sides of the main box or case and near the top corners thereof are placed longitudinal keepers d3, each of which is provided with a longitudinal slot di, and in these keepers are placed slides d5, through which passes a rod b2, having a central crank portion b3 and end handle portions b4, and the rod b2 is secured in the slides d5, and said rods and said slides may be moved longitudinally of the main box or case, as will be readily understood, and the sides of the main box or case are provided with longitudinal slots o1'openingsb5,\vhich correspond with the slots d4 in the keepers d3.

Nithin the top portion of the main box or case and over the rod b2 are secured longitudinal cleats e, between which and the hinged ICO cover a3 is a space to receive a plate-holderf, and this plate-holderfis of Well-known form and forms no part of this invention, but is provided with a central longitudinal partition f2 and with two slides f3, arranged on the opposite sides of the partition f2, and these slides are provided each with a handle f4, whereby they may be drawn out from the plate-holder or inserted thereinto in the plateholder f. In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown an ordinary photographic plate 7c, and at the rear end of the plate-holder and at each side of the central partition f2 thereof is placed a spring g2, and these springs g2 hold the photographic plates, one of which is shown at g, in the plate-holder in the usual manner, and it will be understood that all these features of the plate-holder are of well-known construction and form no part of this invention.

At one side of the main box orcase and belouT the cleats e and below the rod b2 is a larger rod h, which is passed longitudinally through the main box or case and closely adjacent to the side thereof and one end of which projects at the front end of the main box or case and is provided with a knob or handle h2, by which it may be turned, and the rear end of this rod is supported in the transverse bar b at the top of the rear end of the main box or case'. That portion of the rod h within the main box or case is enlarged, and secured thereto is a horizontal partitionplate h3, which forms a trap-door and which is preferably composed of sheet metal and the front end of which is provided with a loop h4, which forms an acute angle to the body portion of said plate, and the front end of the plate 713 is provided centrally with a longitudinal opening h4, in which the crank member b3 of the rod b works.

In the inclined portion a4 of the front end of the main box or case is secured a tube t', adapted to receive a funnelj, and the lower end of which is provided with an extension or a supplemental member t2, which is adapted to discharge into the box c, and at one side of the main box or case and at the bottom thereof, and preferably at one of the front corners, is a discharge port or passage 7a, through which liquids may be discharged from the main box or case.

The normal position of the plate h3 is that shown in Fig. 2, and the rod .7L is provided with a spring 7a2, one end of which is secured thereto and the other to the main box or case, and this spring serves to hold the rod 7L and plate h3 in the position shown in Fig. 2, in which said plate extends horizontally across the main box or case, and in order to depress the plate h3 into the position shown in Fig. 4; the rod h is turned by the knob or handle h2.

The operation is as follows: l/Vhen the plate g has been exposed in the camera in the usual manner, the corresponding slide f3 is inserted into position within the plate-holder, and the plate-holder]l may then be removed from the camera in the usual manner without danger to the plate, and in order to develop the plate by means of my improved apparatus the plate-holder is inserted into the main box or case through the rear end thereof, and said plate-holder is held into position by a springcatch m. When this has been done, the slide f3 beneath the plate g is withdrawn and the rod b2 is turned so that the crank member b3 will strike the spring g at the rear end of the plate-holder, and this operation will release the photographic plate g, and it will drop onto the trap-door plate 7a3. The rod 7L is then turned so that the trap-door plate h3 will move downwardlyinto the position shown in Fig. a, and the photographic plate g will fall into the box c, with the central side thereof uppermost. rlhe developing liquid is then poured into the box c through the funnel j, and the development of the photograph or picture on the plate g may be observed through the ruby glass a at the rear end of the main box or case, the necessary light to permit of this operation being admitted through the glasses d5 and a6. When the picture or photograph has been sufficiently developed, the rear hinged end portion o? of the main box or case, which forms a door, may be opened, the springs c5 depressed, and the box c drawn backwardly into the rear end ofthe main box or case, as shown in Fig. l, in which position it may be held by the hook member as, and the main box or case may then be tilted, so as to discharge the developing liquid out of the box cinto the bottom ofthe main box or case, from which it will be discharged through the port or passage 7e, and after this the box c may be moved forwardly again, and water or other liquid may be poured thereinto through the funnel j.

The hinged cover d3 of the main box or case is provided with thumb-screws n, which operate in holes u2 in the top of the side portions of the main box or case and by means of which the hinged cover may be secured whenever desired, and it will be understood that the photographic plate may be removed from the box c whenever necessary by lowering the hinged rear end portion a2of the main box or case, and the box c may also be removed whenever desired.

Either artificial or natural light may be admitted through the ruby glasses d5 and a to enable the operator to observe the developing of the picture on the plate within the box c, and in this manner it will be apparent that photographic plates may be developed without the use of a dark room and with far less trouble and inconvenience than usually accompanies this process.

Although I have shown and described a plate-holder of particular form, it will be apparent that any suitable construction of plate holder may be employed, all that is necessary in this connection being that a plate-holder be employed from which the photographic ICO IIO

plate may be discharged in the manner herein described, and it will also be apparent that many changes in and modifications of the details of the construction of my improved apparatus may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

The object of making the rod b2 movable longitudinally of the main box or case is to adapt the device to plate-holders of different lengths, and the object of the lip h4 on the trap-door h3 is to catch one edge of the photographic plate when said plate h3 is turned down and turn the said photographic plate over into the box c.

It will be understood that the box c is in the rearmost part of the box or case a when the photographic plate is dropped into said box c, and any number of the boxes c may be employed, or any suitable tray or trays may be used in place thereof, and the box or tray c may be removed from the main box or casing before the development of the picture is fully completed, in which event the cover c2 will be removed therewith and will serve to protect the picture from the light.

I-Iaving fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an apparatus of the class described, a main box or case having a hinged end portion, a ruby glass in the other end thereof, another ruby glass in the hinged end portion, a developing-box placed Within the main box or case, a cover for said box adapted to be inserted through the stationary end Wall of the main box or case, a rod passing through the top portion of the main box or case and provided with a partition-plate normally held transversely of the main box or case and adapted to be depressed by turning said rod, a plateholder adapted to be inserted into the top portion of the main box or case over said partition-plate, and means for discharging a photographic plate therefrom onto said partitionplate, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a main box or case having a hinged end portion, a ruby glass in the other end thereof, another ruby glass in the hinged end portion, a developing-box placed Within the main box or case, a cover for said box adapted to be inserted through the stationary end Wall of the main box or case, a rod passing through the top portion of the main box or case and provided With a partition-plate normally held transversely of the main box or case and adapted to be depressed by turning said rod, a plate-holder adapted to be inserted into the top portion of the main box or case over said partition-plate, and means for discharging a photographic plate therefrom onto said partition-plate, consisting of a rod passing transversely through the main box or case and provided with a crank member operatingin a slot or opening in the end of the partition-plate, substantially as shown and described.

8. In an apparatus ofthe class described, a main box or case having a hinged end portion, a ruby glass in the other end thereof, another ruby glass in the hinged end portion, a developing-box placed Within the main box or case, a cover for said box adapted to be inserted through the stationary end Wall of the main box or case, a rod passing through the top portion of the main box 0r case and provided With a partition-plate normally held transversely of the main box or case and adapted to be depressed by turning said rod, a plate-holder adapted to be inserted into the top portion of the main box or case over said partition-plate, and means for discharging a photographic plate therefrom onto said partition-plate, and a funnel mounted in the stationary end portion of the main box or case and adapted to discharge liquids into said box, substantially as shown and described.

4. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a main box or case one end of which is hinged and the opposite end of which is provided centrally With a backWardly-inclined portion, a 'ruby glass secured in the inclined end portion and in the hinged end member, a developing -box adapted to be placed in the main box or case and provided with a cover which is adapted to be passed through the stationary end Wall-thereof, a rod passing through the top portion of the main box or case and adjacent to one side thereof and provided With a partition-plate normally held in a horizontal position and provided at its free edge With an angular lip, a photographic-plate holder adapted to be inserted into the top portion of the main box or case and means for discharging a photographic plate from said holder onto said partition-plate, substantially as shown and described.

5. An apparatus ofthe class described,com prising a main box or case one end of which is hinged, a ruby glass placed in one of the Walls of said box or case and in the hinged end, a developing-box adapted to be placed in the main box or case, a partition-plate placed in the top portion of the main box or case and adapted to swing vertically, a photographic-plate holder adapted to be inserted into the main box or case above the partitionplate and I neans for discharging a photographic plate from said plate-holder onto the partition-plate, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing Witnesses, this 22d day of May, 1903. 

